Crane construction



July 16, 1957 E. A. FRIEDMAN 2,799,403

CRANE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 11, 1955 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1' in He. FI /29'14. 3435 M 94 2 20 H {in z f40 50a INVENTOR. ELL/077' A. FR/EDMAA/ BYWPM ATTORNEYS July 16,1957 5, FRIEDMAN 2,799,403

CRANE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 11, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 7. I

11/ INVENTOR.

ELL/bTf A- FRIEDMAN United States Patent C 2,799,403 CRANE CONSTRUCTIONElliott A. Friedman, New York, N. Y. Application April 11, 1955, SerialNo. 500,549 7 Claims. (Cl. 212--83) This invention relates to a highlyimproved crane construction.

The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustratedin the drawings and which will be described hereinafter in greaterdetail, comprises generally a pair of trolleys movable on an elevatedtrack and selectively positionable therealong, a block or pulley carriedby each trolley for movement transverse of the track and adapted to beheld in any selected position of its transverse movement, and winchoperated lines extending through the blocks for connection to cargo, sothat the'latter may be moved between positions substantially directlybelow the trolleys by winch operation of the cargo lines.

As is well known to those versed in'the art, the various types ofconventional cranes; such as' standard ships gear, traveling cranes andjib cranes, are all relatively slow-and laborious in operation, andsubject to numerous other disadvantages For example, the most rapidconventional crane operation is that of the standard ships gear,employing the yard and hatch whip method. However, this involvesconsiderable time and labor in positioning or spotting" the booms,requires additional materials, such as guys andthe like, to hold thebooms in place, and exposes cargo to the elements, so that operationsmust often be-halted in inclement weather. Further, the booms areextremely difficult, if not impossible to-- spot in certain instances;and, at certain angles the booms-become unsafe.

While traveling cranes eliminate the above noted difficulties withrespect to booms, they are more time consuming in operation, and requiregreater maintenance, especially on a ship; Jib or wharf cranes are alsoextremely slow in operation.

' Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention toprovidean improved crane construction of the type described, whichovercomes the above mentioned disadvantages of conventional cranes,while combining the advantageous features thereof, which enables'cargoestobe quickly and easily loaded and unloaded with substantially lesslabor and a minimum of skill, and which can be operated in a completelysheltered space so that loading and unloading may be accomplished underall weather conditions, regardless of thetype of cargo.

Itis a further object of the present invention to provide a craneconstruction having the advantageous characteristics mentioned inthe'foregoing paragraph, which may be arranged and positioned with theease and safety of a traveling. crane, and. which is capable of highspeed operation in a manner similar. to that of standard ships gear, tocombinethe advantageous features of the prior artwithout thedisadvantages thereof.

Ibis. still another object of the present invention to provide a highlyimproved crane which is simplenin con.- struction, durable and eflicientin use, and which can be economically erected, operated and maintained.

Other objects of the: present invention will become ap- 5 2,799,403Patented July 16, 1957 parent upon reading the following specificationand referring to the accompanying. drawings, which form a material partof this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevational view showing a crane constructed inaccordance with the present invention, as mounted on a ship, withdifferent positions of operation being shown dot-and-dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the crane of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing a slightly modified form of craneconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view showing another slightly modifiedform of crane constructed in accordance with the present invention, andmounted on a pier or wharf, with various positions of operation beingillustrated in dot-and-dash lines;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially along the line 55 ofFig. 4 and showing the crane thereof as adapted for operation ininclement weather;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 in greater detail; and

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically toFigs. 1 and 2 thereof, the embodiment of the invention illustratedtherein comprises a crane, generally designated 10, shown for purposesofillustration, asv mounted on a ship 11 disposed alongside a wharf 12.

The crane includes a pair of upright, open frames or supports 14 and 15disposed in facing relation with respect to each other and fixed attheir lower ends to laterally spaced points on the deck of ship 11. Theopen frame 14 includes a pair of vertical standards or uprights 17 and18 spaced longitudinally of the ship 11 and fixed at their lower ends tothe deck of the ship. Similarly, the open frame 15 is formed of a pairof vertical standards or uprights 19 and 20 having their lower endsfixed to the ship deck, and preferably disposed in laterally spacedrelation with respect to the standards 17 and 18, respectively. Thus, asbest seen in Fig. 2, the frames 14 and 15 are spaced apart laterally ofthe ship 11, and disposed on opposite sides of a deck opening or hatch21.

' A pair of parallel spaced, horizontally disposed rails or railsections 24 and 25 extend between and are fixedly secured to the frames14 and 15, interiorly thereof. Further, the rails 24 and 25 arepreferably disposed in the same horizontal plane and spaced below theupper ends of the open frames 14 and 15, as seen in Fig. l. Inparticular, the rail section 24 extends between and is fixedly securedto the inner sides of the uprights 15 and 17, while the rail section 25extends between and is fixedly secured to the inner sides of theuprights 13 and 20. Additional rail sections or end extensions 26 and 27are disposed, respectively, in end to end aligned relation with one pairof adjacent ends (the right hand pair in the drawings) of the rails 24and 25, and are hingedly connected to their respective rails forswinging movement about a horizontal axis. Thus, the rail extensions 26and 27 are disposed in parallel spaced relation with respect to eachother and have their inner ends hingedly connected, respectively, as at28 and 29 to one pair of adjacent ends of the rails 24 and 25. The outerends of the rail extensions 26 and 27 are rigidly connected together bya beam or bar 30, so that the rail extensions are simultaneouslyswingable about their hinged connections as rigid unit.

On' the'other ends of the rails 24 and 25 (the left side latter.

in the drawings) are connected, respectively, additional rail sectionsor end extensions 33 and 34. That is, the extension rails 33 and 34 areconnected to the rails 24 and 25 in respective end to endrelation byhorizontally disposed, axially aligned hinges 35 and 36. Rigidlyconnecting the outer ends of the rail extensions are constrained tosimultaneous, swinging movement as a unit about their hingedconnections.

The upstanding, open frames 14 and 15 may be rigidified by any suitablestructure, if desired, and guy wires, as at 39 in Fig. 1 may extendbetween the upper frame ends to steady the same. In addition, draw lines40 may be connected to the rail extensions 26 and 27, and windable on adrum 41 for effecting swinging movement of the right hand extensionrails between their laterally projecting, horizontal position (asillustrated) and a retracted, inoperative position swung upwards intoadjacent relation with respect to the upper ends of the standards 19 and20. Draw lines 42 may similarly be connected to the rail extensions 33and 34, and a drum 43 provided on the frame 14 to coil and uncoil thedraw lines for raising and lowering the left hand rail extensionsbetween a laterally projecting, horizontal position and an inoperative,retracted condition adjacent to the upper ends of the standards 17 and18 (as illustrated).

The rails 24 and 25, with their end extensions 26, 27, 33 and 34disposed in lowered, horizontally extending condition, thus define anelevated track extending between the frames, and projecting through andbeyond the In operation, as will appear presently, at least one pair ofrail end extensions is disposed in its horizontal, outwardly projectingposition.

A pair of independent trolleys or carriages 46 and 47 extend between thetrack rails, and are mounted thereon, as by rollers or the like, formovement longitudinally along the track. In Fig. 2 it will be observedthat the trolley 46 extends between the rail sections 24 and 25, whilethe trolley 47 extends between the extension rail sections 26 and 27.The trolleys are provided with suitable means (not shown), preferablypower operated and remotely controlled to effect trolley movementlongitudinally along the rails, and also to releasably lock the trolleysat any selected position of their movement along the rails. The trolleys46 and 47 are illustrated, respectively, in operative positions over thehatch 21 and wharf 12.

A block or pulley 49 depends from the trolley 46, and a similar block orpulley 50 depends from the trolley 47. The blocks are mounted in theirrespective trolleys, by any appropriate means (not shown) for movementrelative to the trolleys transverse of the rails or track; and, suitablemeans are provided (not shown) for locking the blocks relative to thetrolleys at any selected position of their transverse movement. Theblock drive and looking means is preferably powered and remotelycontrolled for maximum speed and ease of operation.

A pair of winches, schematically illustrated at 52 and 53, arelocated onthe ship deck in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, for coiling anduncoiling lines 54 and 55, respectively. The line 54 extends from thewinch 52 through the block 49, while the line 55 extends from the winch53 through the block 50. After passing through their respective blocks,the lines are connected together by a cargo hook 56.

In operation, say to unload the vessel 11, the winches are operated todrop the cargo hook into the hatch 21 for connection to a piece of cargodisposed within the hatch. The winches are then operated, as by properwinding and unwinding of the cargo lines on the winch drums to pick upor raise the cargo 57 transport it to a position over the wharf 12, anddeliver it on the wharf substantially directly below the block 50. Thisoperation is repeated as often as necessary to completely unload theship, movement of the trolleys 46 and 47, and their blocks 49 and 50being made only when necessary to change the cargo pick-up and deliverypositions. In practice, it may not be necessary to move the trolleys andblocks throughout the entire unloading procedure. Of course, the endextension rails 34 and 35 will be employed in the same manner as the endextension rails 26 and 27 when the wharf is disposed on the other sideof the ships, the left hand side in the drawings. In its condition ofnon-use, as when at sea, both rail extension units will be raised totheir retracted positions.

In Fig. 3 is shown a slightly modified form of crane, generallydesignated 10a, which is the same in all respects as the crane 10, butwith the provision of additional cargo blocks 49a and 50a on thetrolleys 46 and 47, respectively. The cargo blocks 49a and 50a may beidentical to the cargo blocks 49 and 50, and are preferably mounted ontheir respective trolleys for movement in directions transverse of thetrack rails. Additional winches 52a and 53a are mounted on the ship deckand lines 54a and 55a extend from the respective winches through theblocks 49a and 50a for connection to a piece of cargo 57a. The blocks 49and 49a are spaced from each other along the trolley 46, and the blocks50 and 50a are spaced along the trolley 47, so that the blocks 49 and 50may work on one part of the ships hatch while the blocks 49a and 50awork on another part of the hatch, all without interference. Thus, theslight modification of Fig. 3 serves to substantially double the speedof operation of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

While the cranes 10 and 1011 have been illustrated and described asbeing mounted on a ships deck, it is of course appreciated that suchcranes may also be mounted on a dock, or at other desired locations, andmay be employed in a great variety of handling operations, not limitedto the loading and unloading of ships.

In Fig. 4 is another slightly modified form of crane 10b constructed inaccordance with the present invention, is illustrated as mounted on awharf or dock 12b. The crane includes a pair of facing, spacedupstanding open frames 14b and 15b which have their lower ends providedwith wheels or rollers 59 and 60, respectively, to mount the crane formovement along the dock. By this construction, a single, dock-side cranemay be employed to work on all the hatches of a ship.

A double rail, elevated track section 24b extends generally horizontallybetween the open frames 14b and 15b, and is secured to the framesinteriorly thereof. A dockside track end extension 26b projectshorizontally from the track section 24b through and beyond the frame15b, so as to overhang a warehouse or shed 61. If there is noobstruction to movement of the crane 10 along the dock, the projectingtrack extension 26b may be fixed relative to the track section 24b. Aship-side track extension 33b is however, preferably hinged, as at 35bto the ship-side ends of the intermediate track section 24b, forswinging movement between a horizontal, outwardly projecting workingposition, and an upwardly extending, retracted inoperative position.This of course permits movement of the crane 10b along the dock 12bunimpeded by a ship super structure,

Suitable winch means 52b, in the modification of Fig. 4, is preferablymounted on the crane 10b, so as to move with the latter. As illustrated,the crane 10b can operate to transport cargo directly from a ship 11binto a warehouse or shed 61b; and, the cargo may of course be picked upfrom the warehouse and delivered to the ship, as required.

Fig. 5 illustrates the crane of Fig. 4 as employed under inclementweather conditions. As the track sections 24b, 26b and 33b extendinteriorly of the frames 14b and 151), a flexible sheet covering ortarpaulin 62 may be arranged completely over the upstanding frames andextend over the projecting track ends, all without impeding movement ofthe cargo between its pick-up and delivery points. Thus, the open frames14b and 15b, with the elevated track extending. interiorly therethrough'and spaced below the upper ends thereof, provides a structure below theupper ends thereof, adapted to support the covering sheet 62 withouthampering cargo movement. Of course, the crane structures of Figs. 1 and3 will also support a sheltering, flexible sheet in the same manner. Asseen in Fig. 5, it is preferred to provide hooks 63, or other suitablemeans adjacent to the dock surface for anchoring the protective cover 62in position.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides acrane construction which fully accomplishes its intended objects, and iswell adapted to meet practical conditions of erection, operation andmaintenance.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by wayof illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, itis understood that certain changes and modifications may be made withinthe spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A crane comprising a pair of spaced upstanding supports, a pair ofelevated track rails extending between and fixedly mounted on saidsupports, said track extending beyond at least one of said supports, apair of trolleys each extending transversely between and movablelongitudinally along said track rails and positionable respectively overcargo pick-up and delivery points, a block depending from each of saidtrolleys and mounted on its respective trolley for movement relativethereto transverse of said track rails, means for releasably fixing eachof said blocks at any selected position of its transverse movementrelative to its respective trolley, a pair of lines each extendingthrough a respective one of said blocks one end of one of said linesbeing attached to one end of the other of said lines and adapted forconnection to a piece of cargo, and a pair of independently operablewinches each connected to a respective one of said lines for selectivelywinding and unwinding the latter to move said piece of cargo betweensaid pickup and delivery points.

2. A crane according to claim 1, wherein said supports are mounted formovement transverse of said track.

3. A crane comprising a pair of upstanding open frames disposed infacing spaced relation, a pair of elevated parallel track railsextending between and fixedly secured to said frames interiorly thereof,at least one pair of adjacent rail ends projecting through and beyondone of said frames, a pair of trolleys each extending between said pairof rails and movable therealong, means for releasably locking each ofsaid trolleys at any selected position of its movement along said rails,a block depending from each of said trolleys and mounted on itsrespective trolley for movement therealong transverse of said rails,means for releasably fixing each of said blocks at any selected posi- 6tion of its movement relative to its respective trolley, lines extendingthrough said blocks for connection to a piece of cargo, and Winch meansconnected to said lines for selectively winding and unwinding the latterto move said piece of cargo between points substantially directly belowsaid trolleys.

4. A crane according to claim 3, said one pair of rail ends beingpivoted to the remainder of said rails for upward swinging movement intoan inoperative position adjacent to said one frame, to therebyconservespace when not in use.

5. A crane according to claim 3, said lines comprising two in numbereach having one end adapted for connection to said piece of cargo, andsaid winch means comprising a pair of Winches each connected to theother end of one of said lines for selectively winding and unwinding itsrespective line.

6. A crane comprising a pair of upstanding open frames disposed infacing spaced relation, a pair of elevated parallel track railsextending between and fixedlyv secured to said frames interiorly andspaced below the upper ends thereof, at least one pair of adjacent railends projecting through and beyond one of said frames, a pair oftrolleys each extending between said pair of rails and movabletherealong, means for releasably locking said trolleys at any selectedpositions of their move ment along said rails, a block depending fromeach of said trolleys and mounted on its respective trolley for movementtherealong transverse of said rails, means for releasably fixing saidblocks at any selected position of their movement relative to theirrespective trolleys, lines extending through said blocks for connectionto a piece of cargo, winch means connected to said lines for selectivelyWinding and unwinding the latter to move said piece of cargo betweenpolnts substantially directly be low said trolleys, and a flexible sheetcovering said frames and extending over said projecting rail ends toshelter the working area of said crane without impeding movement of saidcargo.

7. A crane according to claim 6, wherein the other pair of adjacent railends projects through and beyond the other one of said frames, saidsheet extending over said other rail ends to shelter the working areatherebelow without impeding movement of said cargo.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS315,900 Brown Apr. 14, 1885 717,161 Campbell Dec. 30, 1902 2,366,574Taylor Jan. 2, 1945 2,593,494 Seward Apr. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS1,070,179 France July 20, 1954

